Tell Me About Linux

Launch of All Things Android Costa Rica

billsdesk — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 23:08:27 +0000

I created the All Things Android site for two reasons. First, I wanted all Android topics to appear on a separate site. Second, I wanted to focus on Android, as it relates to Costa Rica. While Android devices are not new to Costa Rica, there is surge of interest in Android phones and tablets. In Costa Rica, GSM (3G) is the norm. All 3G mobile devices are unlocked, and now there are three carriers (Kolbi/ICE, Claro, and Mobistar).There are no LTE cell networks, so discussions of 4G devices is not relevant. Consequently, I have refocused my blog sites.

As of now, the focus of each site is as follows:

All Things Android will focus strictly on Android topics.
Low Cost Computing will focus on general discussions of Linux, including reviews of new Linux distros.
Hot about Linux remains focused on advanced Linux topics that assume the reader has a basic knowledge of Linux.
Tell Me about Linux is still the site for Linux on-line course material. I am currently working on a Basic Linux course. When completed, I will write another course.
Mobile Software Development shall focus strictly on developing Web sites for mobile devices.
Linux for Ham Radio awaits my getting a permit to operate my station in Costa Rica, and then will focus on Linux ham radio applications. Since this is a highly speciallized site, it may include Android apps orriented to ham radio.

I would like to post articles on each site on a weekly basis. However, I also write Technology articles for The Costa Rica Star. A very busy writing schedule.

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Finished Installing Linux Distros

billsdesk — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:38:40 +0000

I finished installing the last four Linux distros. On my HP mini internal disk, I have Fedora, Linux Mint, and openSUSE. On an old USB thumb drive, I have Ubuntu. On a external USB hard disk, I have Xubuntu, Lubuntu, and Mageia.

Mageia is a fork of Mandriva Linux, and released version 1 just before Christmas. This morning I finished posting my reviews of these distros on my Low Cost Computing blog. Fedora and Mageia are really for intermediate to advanced users. For beginning users, I would recommend openSUSE or Linux Mint, with Xubuntu or Lubuntu as alternatives. While billed as an intuitive desktop, Ubuntu's Unity desktop is rather non-intuitive. Trying the Live/Install edition is a good way to find the desktop, which matches your comfort level.

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Linux Distribution Reviews

billsdesk — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 02:26:59 +0000

I have been busy blogging about my latest experiences with Linux. I have posted reviews of Linux Mint 12, Fedora 16, and openSUSE on my Low Cost Computing Site. While I have used Linux Mint for several years as my day-to-day Linux distro, I am switching back to openSUSE. As much as I like Linux Mint, the Gnome3 desktop just doesn't work on my netbook. Besides reviews, you will also find information on using MultiSystem for a multi-boot USB stck.

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Created a Multiboot USB Stick

billsdesk — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:46:47 +0000

In the previous post, I said I was going to create a multiboot USB thrumb drive. I changed my mind and created a multiboot USB stick. During my research I found the MultiSystem utility While I used the Linux version, there is also a Windows version. MultiSystem is a great way to explore a Live/Install Linux distro. You can install the distro from that you like. Some distros, allow you to create persistant storage on the USB. While I haven't tested it yet, you should be able to run the Basic Linux course, without having to install Linux on your computer.

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Netbook boots three Distros of Linux

billsdesk — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 01:02:31 +0000

Installing any single version of Linux was not a problem. The challenge was getting GRUB2 to correctly boot three different distros of Linux. Creating three Live/Install three USB sticks was not difficult. It just took a lot of time. The Broadcom driver on the HP mini was a bit of an issue, but I now have all three distros working via wireless. What is really cool is that all three can be easily turned into WiFi hotspots. My next task to creat a quadruble booted USB thumb drive (known as USB MultiBoot). The three distos on my HP mini are Linux Mint 12.1, Fedora 16, and open SUSE 12.1, my three favorite distros.

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Short Break from Writing

billsdesk — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:51:29 +0000

I am taking a short break from writing to perform software upgrades. A new version of Android was released for my Nook Color this morning. If the upgrade doesn't break my rooted version, it won't take long. Then comes a major upgrade to my triple booted HP mini netbook. Upgrading to Linux Mint 12, and Fedora 14. I am replacing MeGoo with openSUSE 12.1. Need to make a lot of USB sticks today. All upgrades require that I use a cabled Internet connection. Linux Mint previously recognized the Broadcom WiFi. Hope it works again. Fedora did require a manual update of the driver, and not sure what is going to happen with openSUSE.

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Outline for Basic Linux Done

billsdesk — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 15:11:29 +0000

Writing an outline takes time, as each chapter must build on the previous chapter, and each section build on previous material. At worst, simple use of a command precedes more complex use. The Basic Linux course is a foundation to more advanced courses on Linux. With so many avenues to explore, I may be writing courses for years. The initial outline will change as I write the course, but it provides an initial path.

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A New Adventure

billsdesk — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:16:00 +0000

When I lived in Israel, I wrote my first book, and to my delight, I found a publisher. I author, or co-authored, five traditional books. It was a great learning process. There were two big problems caused by the long publishing process. In a fast changing field, technical books had a very short shelf-life. The first revision had to be started before the first book hit the bookstore shelves. As much as I enjoyed seeing my books on a bookstore shelf, it was not profitable.

Writing books led to an opportunity to write course material for instructor led seminars. Until the training industry took a nose-dive, it was a profitable adventure. For custom course, I received as much as $50,000 for a course. For courses sold on a royalty basis, I received around $65 per student guide, even I didn't teach the course. Customers preferred to have the author teach the course, so I was paid both for teaching and the course material. As the industry declined, many instructors turned to writing their own courses, and the the great ride come to an end. Writing courses for a small market at high prices was not paying for the time to write a course, even at minimum wage. Being a starving writer is not part of the plan.

I actually started this site almost two years ago, with the idea of offering courses to a larger market at a lower price. Life events intervened and the site lay dormant. I just didn't have the time, or energy, to think of a business model that made sense. Another change in life brought me to Costa Rica. While I have been interested in eBooks for some time, the purchase of a Nook Color led to a new idea. A new life and a new idea. I now have the time to pursue writing once again.

Using the Book module of Drupal, I am going to write a series of courses on Linux. One of the hard parts of writing is finding reviewers who can help improve the qualify of the material. In traditional book publishing, this often comes at the end of the writing phase. For course material, the corrections are made through teaching the class. With this site, I hope reader's comments will lead to faster corrections and a better presentation. The material on this site shall always remain free. It will be copyrighted, but only to keep others from making a living without having to invest in the effort of writing. So, how I am I going to make a living.

I am going to put a "Please Donate" block on each page, but I don't expect to make a whole lot from it. Once I finish a course, I will publish it as an eBook. I am going to self-publish and market the eBook for a very low price. My current thinking is a price between $1.99 and $4.99. For instructors wanting to use the course, I will market a separate instructors package.

Will this idea work? I don't know. My crystal ball stopped working many years ago.

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Site is Now Live

adminguy — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 01:17:46 +0000

While there are still a few minor errors that need to be resolved, the site is now live. Besides adding content, the major task that lies ahead are translations to Spanish. I am not sure how well technical material is going to translate, but will soon find out.

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Under Construction

adminguy — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:36:31 +0000

The site is currently under construction. Until I complete the configuration of the site, I am not accepting any requests for user accounts.

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Tell Me About Linux

Launch of All Things Android Costa Rica

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Finished Installing Linux Distros

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Linux Distribution Reviews

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Created a Multiboot USB Stick

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Netbook boots three Distros of Linux

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Short Break from Writing

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Outline for Basic Linux Done

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A New Adventure

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Site is Now Live

Under Construction